Shutterstock
A polar vortex will bring frigid temperatures beginning on Friday and continuing through Saturday to several parts of the country, while also bringing snow, setting records and breaking low temperatures marks for mid-May.
Don’t put away that dry skin moisturizer just yet, you might need it this weekend as a blast of Arctic air will descend on the US, chilling cities in the northern Rockies, upper Midwest, Northeast, mid-Atlantic and even into the mid-South.
In fact, some of these cities will be colder than parts of Alaska. The temperature forecast for Fairbanks, Alaska is anticipated to be higher this weekend than those in Cleveland, Philadelphia, New York City, and even as far south as Atlanta.
Low temperatures are expected to reach at or below the freezing mark and several areas and wind chills are expected to dip into the 20s in some locations.
A primary concern is that frost and freezes could damage or kill plants that have already begun the growing season. Another concern is damage to unprotected outdoor plumbing. Inground sprinkler systems should be drained.
Make sure to find forecasts, radar maps, and forecasts for your area.
You might want to get out your snow broom and shovel and have them ready this weekend. Over the course of Friday and Saturday, snowfall is a possibility over portions of the northern Rockies, upper Midwest, Midsouth, mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
On Friday, the National Weather Service (NWS) is forecasting potential snowfall over the northern Rockies to include portions of Montana, Wyoming, and the Dakotas.
For the upper Midwest, Ohio Valley, Midsouth, mid-Atlantic and Northeast, the NWS is forecasting potential snow over portions of Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, the Virginia’s, Tennessee, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
On Saturday, the area of snowfall expands to include portions of Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin, while continuing over the Northeast. Heavy snowfall is forecast by the NWS over New Hampshire and Maine.
One area that could set a snow record is the nation’s capital. Washington, D.C. has never seen measurable snow in the month of May. A meteorologist for Fox5 could only find three instances where snow fell at all in DC in May, in 1903, 1923 in 1963, but all lacked accumulation.
Erie, Pennsylvania could set a snow record on Friday. The latest day measurable snow has ever fallen in Erie was May 7. If snow falls on Friday, it would set a new record for May 8.
